Georgia’s foreign trade turnover in first six months of 2010 was USD 2.95 billion, up by 18% from last year’s same period, the state statistics office, Geostat, said on July 23.

Trade deficit was USD 1.51 billion in the first half of 2010, which is up by 3% year-on-year.

The value of export was USD 721 million, up by 40% from last year’s first half and import was USD 2.23 billion, up by 13%, according to Geostat.

Turkey remains Georgia’s largest trading partner with USD 496 million in the first half of 2010, followed by Azerbaijan – USD 299 million; Ukraine – USD 287 million; the United States – USD 173.9 million; Germany – USD 157.3 million; Russia – USD 153.2 million; China – USD 150.2 million; Armenia – USD 89.2 million; United Arab Emirates – USD 84.6 million; Bulgaria – USD 81.5 million.

Ferro-alloys remained the number one Georgian export, amounting USD 129 million; oil products and hydrocarbons top the list of imports totaling USD 292.4 million in the first half of 2010.

Compared to the first half of 2008, the total foreign trade turnover was down by 26% in the first half of 2010; import was down by 30% and export - down by 9%.